1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a system for moistening envelope flaps in automatic mail handling installations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Known moistening systems essentially comprise a moistening member fed directly or indirectly from a reservoir of water which in some cases carries it and against which rub the flaps of successive envelopes fed along a path.
The moistening member must be fed with a sufficient but not excessive amount of water to enable it to transfer water cleanly to the flap rubbing against it. The means for feeding it from the reservoir and the reservoir itself must be designed to prevent any splashing as a result of vibration of the installation or during mounting it on or demounting it from the installation.
Known moistening systems designed to meet these requirements and of greater or lesser complexity have the water reservoir mounted at a distance from the moistening member and consequently from the path followed by the envelopes and their flaps.
The document FR-A-2 195 532 describes one embodiment of a device of this kind for moistening and folding envelope flaps. For the moistening function the device includes a water reservoir, a wick support arm inclined slantwise from the top of the reservoir and a wick with one end in the reservoir and the other end mounted on a wick holder and passing through the wick support arm. The wick support arm has an elongate marginal portion which exposes an elongate portion of the wick through an elongate open portion of the wick holder. The wick holder is J-shape in cross-section with projections which pierce the wick to hold it in place and is adapted to be placed in the wick support arm. This moistening system is disposed below a platform with the exposed portion of the wick substantially under one edge of the platform. An associated deflector at the upstream end engages the envelope flap projecting freely from the edge of the platform over which the body of the envelope is fed, and guides it below the lower edge of the wick support arm. A complex folding system then folds the flap, pushing its gummed region firmly against the wick.
An object of the present invention is to provide a moistening system of significantly simplified design and operation which additionally has compact overall dimensions within the mail handing installation, involves no difficulties of mounting in or demounting from the installation and avoids the possibility of splashing.
In one aspect, the present invention consists in a moistening system comprising a moistening member and a reservoir, said member being mounted on said reservoir and having a projecting part for moistening articles as they move along a path and are applied to it, in which system said reservoir is mounted with said moistening member that it carries transversely below the path over substantially the entire width of the path and includes a series of partitions dividing it across the width of the path into independent compartments individually supplying water to said moistening member.
According to another characteristic of the invention the reservoir is long and narrow, its length being substantially equal to the width of the path, it has partitions extending heightwise and widthwise, and its upper surface is closed by a lid through which the moistening member passes.
According to another characteristic of the invention the moistening member is a flat member mounted on a holder which secures it to the lid and in the reservoir.
According to another characteristic of the invention the lid has a base covering the reservoir and surmounted by at least one chimney for receiving and holding the moistening member, with its holder, in each compartment of the reservoir.
According to another characteristic of the invention the base is additionally provided with a compartment feed trough formed by one side of the chimney.
The trough has in its base a series of holes discharging into the respective compartments and closed by a strip of plugs.
In another aspect, the present invention consists in a moistening device comprising a moistening system and a reservoir, said member being mounted on said reservoir and having a projecting part for moistening articles as they move along a path and are applied to it, in which system said reservoir is mounted with said moistening member that it carries transversely below the path over substantially the entire width of the path and includes a series of partitions dividing it across the width of the path into independent compartments individually supplying water to said moistening member and an associated pivoting moistening deflector mounted above said path and adapted to be actuated between a raised rest position and a lowered moistening position, said device further comprising a slide bar pivoted to said reservoir to the front of said moistening member relative to the direction of forward movement of articles to be moistened and adapted to be actuated between a protection position in which it adjoins the front of the projecting part of the moistening member substantially flush with the level of said path and a retracted position in which it is retracted under said projecting part of said moistening member and the level of said path, said bar being actuated at substantially the same time as said deflector.
According to another characteristic of the invention the deflector and the bar are coupled by means encroaching upon the path from the side to operate them simultaneously.
The characteristics and the advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the following description of one embodiment of the invention given by way of example with reference to the appended diagrammatic drawings.